Commentary Corner - The Renegade Legacy Pack

Yes, that's right, it's an actual Wargaming article!

Square Based produced an update pack for the legacy factions - i.e, the lines of miniatures that ended up in AoS. Who are Square Based? Doesn't matter. If you must know, they're a prominent content creator in the TOW Space.

As Val Heffelfinger (whom some of you may know from the excellent 40k stat center) tells it, the rationale was pretty simple - Update some of the factions that got left on the cutting room floor, but don't make such sweeping and invasive changes that the current metagame tips on its head.

The result is the Renegade Legacy Pack.

Fan made rules don't thrill me under normal circumstances, as they are transient things that don't see wide adoption, so convincing your local playgroup to adopt them can be difficult. Fortunately, Val and Square Based are well connected - and so this rule pack received significant traction from a number of prominent individuals and independent organised play groups in the northern hemisphere.

Put simply, this is not a drill, folks - these are going to see some degree of adoption, even here on convict island.

Now, to be clear, I haven't really played enough games of TOW to review all of the changes made in this pack. But I have played a number of games with Lizardmen, and I am thrilled with the changes.

Let's take it from the top:

Slann

The super frogge has received a number of key changes.

Slann return to being monstrous infantry, complete with 360 degree arc of sight.
Their base size can now be 60mm, and they can join units of Temple Guard. Whilst in a unit of Temple Guard, they can cast and dispel as normal, provided the fighting rank is at least four models.
A Slann knows an additional spell, and each turn can reroll a single casting die.

This is huge.

In my games with Lizardmen, I have not considered a Slann because it looks terrible to have him standing off to the side. The super frog is also considerably more vulnerable in that state, which is not ideal when the mega toad has the same defensive stats as a Kroxigor, but gives up 385 victory points.

Unsurprisingly, that has meant that my armies are extremely vulnerable to magic, particularly from armies and factions that have access to multiple L4 characters (looking at you, Vampire Counts)

This change gives Lizardmen players their L4 caster back, provides a safe place for their general, and gives the army an elite infantry option to anchor the line. Win, win, win, all the way down.

At the end of my first 2,000 point event, I thought that the only change Lizardmen needed was for Slann to go back in the block.

Well, we got there, and my excitement is palpable.

Cold Blooded

This is a far more controversial change.

Cold Blooded now works as it did in previous editions - it now applies to all leadership tests. New for TOW is that it also works on break tests.

This is all upside. Cold One Cavalry become much less risky to use, although there is still a 1/10 chance they become stupid. It also reduces the army's vulnerability to leadership-based attacks, like the Terrorgheist's scream.

(Sorry for all the Vampire Count references. My last game was against them.)

This doesn't bother me personally, but where this adjustment might fall down is break tests.

In previous editions, a break test was binary - you failed it, or you didn't, and that result could be influenced by combat resolution. Now, there's a degree of nuance where breaking an opponent requires a natural roll over their leadership - the same 1 in 10 odds mentioned above for Saurus units.

This means that, overwhelmingly, Lizardmen units, even when badly beaten in combat, will almost always fall back in good order, or give ground.

Now this makes sense to me, and is easy to justify in my head. What this means for my opponents? Simply put, it becomes difficult, going on impossible, to break a unit, unless you inflict extreme losses.

And as for Temple Guard carrying their general? Don't bother - the odds of failing that break test improve to 1 in 20.

Force Organisation Changes

This is a few changes rolled into one.

Saurus Warriors are no longer minimum 1 in Core
Saurus Oldbloods are now 0-1 per 1000 points, and do not share a slot with Skink Priests
Slann are now 0-1 per 1500 points
Stegadons are now Special
Temple Guard are 0-1 in Core with the purchase of a Slann
Terradons and Ripperdactyls are no longer 0-1 per Skink Priest or Skink Chief

A lot of these changes are common sense changes, which increase the variety in the army. I will spare you the diatribe about how these restrictions were not well thought out.

The really important change here is Saurus no longer being 1+.

Unfortunately Saurus aren't good enough to battle other elite infantry, and with shieldwall, they were only a point cheaper than Temple Guard. The changes to Cold Blooded may make them an better unit for absorbing a charge, but they are not likely to be anything other than a speed bump.

And with Temple Guard getting promoted back into the starting side, you'd rather spend the extra point.

Unit Adjustments

These are the smallest part of the new pack.

Attacks made against Behemoths with Howdahs use the weapon skill chosen by the defender
Salamanders use the Column of Fire rules when shooting
Temple Guard become initiative 2

The first adjustment means attacks made against your Stegadon are made at WS4. Prior to this change, your opponent got to pick on the WS2 Skink Crew - which sucks particularly hard when you notice the new TOW hit chart allows 2+ to hit scores.

Secondly, Salamanders work like fire throwers now - they use the artillery dice, giving them more range. This is unlikely to allow for a Salamander to find its way into a proper army, but it means they're not completely unusable - particularly with the movement spells now available to your army.

Lastly, Temple Guard regain their initiative 2. This is minor, but let me take you on a journey.

Your Temple Guard can strike at the same time as Elf units when charging. With a Bastiladon, they will strike first. My PTSD from 8th edition, with every combat being unwinnable thanks being annihilated by Elves, even on the charge, is firmly in the back of my mind.

In conclusion, I am over the moon with these changes. From the games I have played, TOW has felt rock solid and fun to play. These changes feel like the finishing touch needed to get Lizardmen off the mat, and onto the table.

I look forward to posting some games with them soon.

I hope.

Catch you next time,
Vulkan

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